Kasambara taken to Zomba Maximum prison

An outspoken opponent of Malawi’s president who once served as his attorney general, Ralph Kasambara, has been whisked to the notorious Zomba Maximum Prison despite being granted bail on Tuesday.

According to prison authorities at Chichiri Prison in Blantyre where the lawyer was being held until Thursday afternoon, instructions to move Kasambara to Zomba were issued by Information Minister, Patricia Kaliati.

Lawyer Wapona Kita confirmed Kasambara has been moved.

“Ralph has been taken out of Chichiri Prison, we understand they are taking him Zomba maximum prison,” he said.

Kasambara was arrested on Monday when he and five security men foiled a gang of three men sent by the regime to petrol bomb his law office. He said the thugs confessed to his bodyguards that they had been sent after him by the government.

Kaliati swiftly accused the lawyer of kidnapping and torturing the for refusing Kasambara’s advances for a sexual encounter.

Kasambara: Prisoner of conscience

The thugs were released and given VIP treatment by Police.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) president John-Gift Mwakhwawa expressed shock at how someone defending oneself against alleged assailants would turn into a suspect.

Said Mwakhwawa: “I would understand if the detention was just to gather statements from those concerned, but from the look of things, the detention is beyond the police who might be acting on instructions from some politician.”

Magistrate Innocent Nebi on Tuesday granted bail Kasambara but was released Wednesday.
Hours later, police arrested him again at his home, saying his bail procedure was flawed.

There are fears that government is after Kasambara’s life.

He has been critical of dictator Bingu wa Mutharika and recently told the press that Malawian citizens can demand their president to resign or commence an impeachment indictment on various constitutional violations.